Thrice as Nice!

Alberta’s Dan Sherrard sets Everest Club Championship record with third Canadian Men’s club crown while Abby Burgess secures New Brunswick’s second consecutive Women’s Club Championship

Alberta’s Dan Sherrard has already been there, done that, when it comes to winning the Everest Men’s Canadian Curling Club Championship. 

But that didn’t stop the Beaumont Curling Club skip from going undefeated and winning a record setting third gold medal at the 2023 Everest Men’s Curling Club Championship from the Assiniboine Curling Club in Winnipeg on Saturday evening.  

Sherrard, who won club titles in 2012 at Toronto and 2013 at Thunder Bay, Ont., waited ten years to win his third men’s club crown, but that certainly didn’t take away from the sweetness of the victory.

“The third one was a long time coming,” said Sherrard after the gold medal victory. “We’ve worked very hard just to be at this event. We’ve tried every single year we could, so, to get here was incredible for us and this is just on another level.” 

If good things come in threes, then Sherrard, alongside vice-skip Brandon Klassen and lead Kyle Reynolds might start putting that number on their future lotto tickets. Not only were Klassen and Reynolds members of the 2012 and 2013 gold medal winning teams, but they also managed to win the 2023 Everest club title with only three players after second Shawn Donnelly was unable to attend the event.  

“We found out that we were going to be a three-man team, and tried to get a spare and it didn’t’ work out,” said Sherrard. “We’ve known each other a long time and said, ‘You know what, if anyone is going to be able to try to make this work, then let’s see if it can be us’”. 

And while Alberta defeated Saskatchewan’s Mitch Citron (7-3; Regina) by what looks like a lopsided 7-2 score in the final, it was Alberta’s strength through its lineup that won the day. 

“Kyle didn’t miss too much,” said Sherrard of his lead’s performance in the final. “If you’re going to have your best game of the year, doing it in a national final is a pretty good time to do it. He made Brandon and I’s life pretty easy out there.” 

Meanwhile in the women’s gold medal match, Oromocto’s Abby Burgess took home a second consecutive gold medal for New Brunswick at the Everest club championship, defeating Ontario’s Lindsay Thorne (8-2; Ottawa) by an 8-7 score.  

The Gage Golf & Curling Club squadron, rounded out by vice-skip Tracy Brooke, second Samantha Crook, lead Hannah Williams and coach Jeremy Tracy, had their eyes set on the national title from the very start.  

“It feels good. I don’t know what else to say,” said an elated Samantha Crook after the win. “Amazing. I’m speechless.” 

The final, which was a veritable classic, saw supreme shot making from both New Brunswick and Ontario, with very few missteps along the way setting the stage for a tie game at 7 points each entering the eighth end. New Brunswick, who had hammer, flooded the four-foot with ample guards in play, forcing Ontario to make a tough draw on its final stone.  

The shot was executed near perfectly, but alas, did not find enough of the four-foot to outcount a single New Brunswick stone, securing the win and the national club crown for Burgess and company. 

“We put in a lot of hard work and the girls really showed up today,” said Burgess. “It could have gone either way. Ontario played amazing. We showed up and I just felt like the momentum was on our side the entire game and we just never gave up.” 

There could have been nerves watching Ontario’s final stone coming down the sheet in the eighth end, but you’d never know it looking at an unphased Burgess, who has been brimming with confidence all week. 

“I told the girls all week ‘Give me a shot to win and I’ll make it’”, said Burgess. “Luckily, I didn’t have to, which is great, but Ontario played amazing and my team showed up.” 

The second consecutive women’s club title for New Brunswick makes it the second province to win back-to-back, started by skip Shaelynn Park, who won at Edmonton in 2022 for the Maritimers. Alberta is the only other province to accomplish the feat, with titles in 2018 at Miramachi, N.B., (skip, Morgan Muise) and 2019 at Leduc, Alta., (skip, Nanette Dupont). 

In women’s bronze medal action, British Columbia’s Carley Sandwith-Craig (9-2; Duncan) defeated Nova Scotia’s Tanya Phillips (5-6; Halifax) by a 9-3 score while in men’s play, Québec’s David Maheux (6-5; Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville) bested Nova Scotia’s Shea Steele (6-5; Halifax) 7-5. 

The Canadian Curling Club Championships began in 2009 in Toronto. Since then, Ontario and Alberta are teams are now tied having won the men’s title four times, B.C. and Saskatchewan have each claimed two titles and Newfoundland & Labrador and Nova Scotia each have one. 

On the women’s side, Manitoba leads the way with four championships, followed by Ontario and Alberta with three apiece. New Brunswick now adds a second title to its tally, pulling ahead of Prince Edward Island, and Northern Ontario with single championships. 

It was the 14th edition of the Canadian Curling Club Championships and the second year Everest has been title sponsor of the event showcasing grassroots curling in Canada.   

The Everest Canadian Curling Club Championships features recreational, club-level curlers who don’t have the time or resources to compete at the high-performance level; the event gives club curlers the exciting opportunity to represent their home province or territory on the national stage. 

Scores and standings from the event will be available at by CLICKING HERE.    For draw times, team lineups and other event info, CLICK HERE.